Valve apparatus for dispensing gas



Nov. 25, 1958 J. H. EMERSON 2,861,569

VALVE APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING GAS Filed April 1, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN TOR.

JOHN H. EMERSON BY @5562, mm 996m ATTORN S Nov. 25, 1958 I J. H. EMERSON 2,861,569

' VALVE APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING GAS Filed April 1, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. JOHN H. EMERSON BY ATTO RN EYS United States Patent 2,861,569 VALVE APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING GAS John H. Emerson, Arlington, Mass. Application April 1, 1955, Serial No. 498,480

6 Claims. (Cl. 128-142) The present invention relates to apparatus for dispensing gas from a limited source thereof and more particularly to apparatus for dispensing life sustaining gas through a closed system from a portable, limited supply of gas under pressure, as for example, a portable gas tank carried by the user to a face mask worn by the user and still more particularly to such an apparatus provided with means for warning the user when such limited gas supply has been reduced to a predetermined amount.

Such apparatus is particularly useful to permit people who require life sustaining gases such as oxygen to exist for substantial amounts of time in an atmosphere or other medium which will not sustain life. For example, such apparatus is useful for firemen in rooms filled with smoke or other non-breathable gases, for aviators at high altitudes and for underwater divers.

It is important to incorporate in such apparatus a relatively simple and efiicient means for warning the user when the limited gas supply has been reduced to a minimum amount suflicient for him to safely remove himself from the non-breathable medium before the breathable gas supply is completely exhausted.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved valve apparatus comprising a single compact unit resembling a standard valve for portable gas tanks but incorporating in the valve mechanism a simple device for warning the user when the limited gas supply has been reduced to a safe minimum amount sufficient for him to remove himself from medium.

A further object is to provide such an apparatus which as a unit is easily attached to and removed from standard outlets of conventional single outlet gas storage tanks so that there is no need for modifying such tanks or of using specially built tanks.

Other objects are to provide such a valve apparatus which is etficient, simple in construction, simple to operate and economical to manufacture, which has a minimum of parts and controls, in which the warning mechanism is built into and forms an integral part of the valve mechanism and which has a single hand control.

A further object is to provide an improved gas dispensing apparatus incorporating such improved valve apparatus.

A further object is to provide an improved gas dispensing apparatus having an improved mechanism for warning the user when the gas supply has been reduced to a predetermined amount.

Further objects will appear from the following description which is intended to set forth a particular em bodiment of such invention for illustrative purposes only but not to limit the same.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a fireman wearing an apparatus embodying the mechanism of the present invention for use in smoke-filled rooms;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of an apparatus embodying the mechanism of the present invention for use in underwater diving;

the non-breathable Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a valve mechanism embodying the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of the assembled valve mechanism of Fig. 3 with the valve in positive closed position;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view similar to Fig. 4 with parts broken away and showing the valve forced into open position by the pressure of the gas in the tank while the amount of gas in the tank is at or above a predeter mined amount; a

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the valve resiliently forced into closed position when the pressure of the gas in the tank has been reduced below such pre-' determined amount;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but with the valve in positive open position;

Fig. 8 is a section taken along the line 88 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 9 is a section taken along the line 9-9 of Fig. 2 showing in detail how the valve mechanism of the present invention is connected with a standard demand regulator used in underwater diving.

Referring to the drawings, 10 (Fig. 1) represents a standard oxygen cylinder containing oxygen under positive pressure and having attached to the top thereof a valve 11 which will be described in detail below. The outlet of the valve 11 is connected to the inlet of a conventional pressure reducer 12 for reducing the pressure of the oxygen in tank 10 to a pressure which is suitable for breathing. The outlet of pressure reducer 12 is connected in a conventional manner to one end of a flexible hose 14, the other end of which is connected to a conventional face mask 15 having a conventional one-way exhalation valve 15' which opens when the user 17 exhales and closes when he inhales. A conventional oneway inhalation valve (not shown) is provided at any suitable point between tank 10 and mask 15. The oxygen container 10 is strapped to the back of the user 17 by means of straps 10'.

In Fig. 2 the outlet of valve 11 is connected in a conventional manner to the inlet of a conventional demand type regulator 13 used in underwater diving units, as for example, the demand type regulator shown in Fig. 4 of U. S. Patent No. 2,485,039. Regulator 13 is connected, as shown in the above mentioned patent, with inhalation tube 7 and exhalation tube 7', both of which communicate with a mouthpiece 8 or a face mask (not shown) which may be the same as the face mask 15. The particular construction of demand typ'e regulator 13- and the manner in which it is connected with tubes, 7 and 7 and eventually with the user forms no part of the present invention.

Valve 11 (Figs. 3 to 8) comprises a valve housing 16, a valve seat 29 located in a passage passing through the housing, a valve 44, a valve carrier 42 carrying the valve 44, and a valve stem 50 for actuating the valve carrier and valve.

Housing 16 is made up of a main body portion, partly circular (18, 22) and partly square (20) in cross section, having an externally threaded outlet branch 24 and an externally threaded biOW-Olf branch'30 extending from opposite sides thereof. It is externally threaded at both ends (19 and 21) and has a longitudinal circular passage passing therethrough with two branches extending therefrom. Such passage is divided into an end portion 5 of relatively large diameter and partially threadedat 17, a narrower portion 9 partially threaded at '9', a still nar rower unthreaded valve portion 27 and a wider portion 23 partially threaded at 23'. Outlet passage 31 branches off from portion 9, extends through outlet branch 24 of housing 16- and is enlarged at 33". Blow-01f pass age 225 branches ofi from portion 23 and extends through blowout portion 30 of housing 16. The juncture of wider portion and narrower portion 9 of the passage forms a shoulder 4 (Fig. 8). Valvese'at 29 is formed between portion 9 and narrower portion 27.

'Cylindricallyshaped valve carrier 42 (Figs. 3, 5 and 6), externally threaded at 42', is adapted to be received by the threaded portion 9 of passage 9 and has a valve carrying chamber 61 which carries the valve 44 and which extends into a narrower spring passage 47, which in turn extends into the widened passage 43 which is square in cross section. Valve carrying chamber 61' is defined by the shoulder 51 and the downwardly extending walls 61, the ends of which are turned inwardly at 63. The valve 44 comprises a valve body portion 71 (Fig. 6;) having an outwardlyextending flange 73, the periphery of which is snugly but slidably received in chamber 61' and thediameter of whichfiis greater than the diameter of the aperture formed bythe end of inwardly extending portion 63. The valve has a flat top 44 and a valve disc chamber'formed by depending wall 75, which protrudes through and is snugly but slidably received in the aperture formed by inwardly extending portion 63 of the valve carrier and which is crimped inwardly at 77 to secure the valve disc 79 therein. Valve disc 79 is made of a material such as nylon or any other material commonly used in valve structures.

- The valve 44 is capable of limited sliding movement longitudinally of the valve carrying chamber 61' and the aperture formed by the inwardly extending portion 63, the movement in one direction beinglimited by the surface 44 abutting against the shoulder 51 of the valve carrier 42, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and movement in the other direction being limited by the flange 73 abutting against the inwardly extending portion 63 of the valve carrier 42, as shown in Fig. 7. During movement in the first direction, valve 44 is retracted into chamber 61 until the valve reaches the limit of its movement (Figs. 4 and 5) in such direction, in which position only a small portion of valve 44 protrudes from the aperture formed by inwardly extending portion 63. During movement in the other direction, the lower portion of the valve 44 protrudes further out of chamber 61' and beyond the aperture formed by inwardly extending portion 63 (Fig. 7).

Stem 50 is comprised of a valve carrier driving portion 66 which is square in cross section and which is snugly received within the square passage 43 of the valve carrier 42. The thicker portion 70 is of circular cross section and the upwardly and outwardly flared portion 72 is frusto-conical. The main stem body 50' extends upwardly from the wider end of the-frusto-conical portion and is smaller in diameter than such wider end, which is circular in cross section. The upper end 50" of the stem 50 is threaded. A shoulder 54" is formed adjacent to the base of this threaded portion. The threaded end portion 50" is received in an aperture in the hub 54 of handle 52. The nut 52 is drawn tightly over threaded portion 50" so as to urge the lower edge of hub 54 against the shoulder 54" and secure the handle to the stem; Shoulder 74 is formed where the wider end of the frusto-conical portion 72 merges with the main stem body 50.

The lower end of the driving portion 66 is provided with a spring receiving cavity 68 which receives the upper end of the spring 49. The spring 49 passes through the narrow passage 47 of valve carrying sleeve 42 and the lower end of the spring bears against the top surface 44 of valve 44, thereby normally urging valve 44 toward and into engagement with valve seat 29 as shown in Figs. 4 and 6, or the flange 73 into engagement with the inwardly extending portion 63 of valve carrier 42 when the valve is in the positive open position shown in Fig. 7.

Lock sleeve 64, having a nut portion 62 is externally threaded at 64 and this threaded portion is received in threaded passage 17 of valve housing 16 to lock the entire assembly together. When lock sleeve 64 is screwed into the position shown in the drawings, longitudinal movement of the stem 50 is limited in one direction by shoulder 74 of stem 50 abutting against the lower end of sleeve 64 or against a fiber washer, not shown, which is normally interposed between these members, and in the other direction by outwardly flared portion 72 abutting against shoulder 4 of housing 16 through resilient washer 6.

The downward movement of valve carrier 42 is limited by shoulder 51 abutting against the top 44' of valve 44 when such valve is in engagement with valve seat 29.

Cap 36 (Figs. 3 and 4) is screwed on externally threaded branch 30 of housing 16 by means of threaded passage 30' and holds rupturable disc 32 over the end of passage 25 by means of shoulder 36 formed at the junction of threaded passage 30' and narrow passage 38' of the cap 36, the latter passage being aligned with passage 25 of housing 16 and normally separated from communication therewith by disc 32. Passage 38 extends into a number of small lateral passages 38 which communicate with the exterior of the cap 36.

wOutlet branch 24 (Figs. 3 and 4) is adapted to be threaded into an inlet end of a conventional reducer 12 (Fig. l), or to be connected in any other conventional manner to such reducer or to a regulator 13 (Fig. 2) and branch passage 33 passing therethrough is provided with a shoulder 26 formed by a widening in such passage and this shoulder receives a resilient washer 35 (Fig. 4).

Threaded portion 21 of housing 16 (Figs. 3 and 4) is adapted to be threaded into the conventional threaded outlet passageway of a conventional tank 10.

Spring plate 78 (Figs. 3 and 8) is fastened to housing 16 by means of clamp 84, clamp screw 88, clamp nut 90, ears 85 and apertures 86 so that portion 82 thereof is resiliently pressed against the circumference of hub 54 of handle 52. Consequently, on every revolution of handle 52, portion 82 of resilient member 78 clicks into groove 56, thereby indicating when each complete revolution of handle 52 has been made.

When the valve is assembled and is connected with tank 10, reducing valve 12 and face mask 15, as shown in Fig.

1, and handle 52 is turned to fully or positively closed position (clockwise as far as it will go), portion 82 of spring plate 78 lies in groove 56; and shoulder 51 of valve carrying sleeve 42 engages the top surface 44' of valve 44 and positively forces it into seating engagement with valve seat 29, as shown in Figs. 4, 6 and 8.

When the apparatus is to be used, handle 52 is given a single counterclockwise turn so that portion 82 of plate 78 again lies in groove 56, thereby turning stem 50 one turn and causing the driving portion 66 to rotate valvc carrying sleeve 42 one turn and thus moving it upwardly away from valve seat 29 into the position shown in Fig. 5 so that shoulder 51 no longer positively forces valve 44 into positive seating engagement with valve seat 29. In this position spring 47 resiliently urges the valve toward the valve seat 29. However, the force exerted on valve 44 by the pressure upstream of valve seat 29 (from the cylinder 10) is greater than the force exerted by spring 47 so that such pressure forces valve 44 out of seating engagement with valve seat 29 against the force of spring 47, thereby compressing the spring. This position of the valve is shown in Fig. 5.

Spring 47 is so selected that when the gas pressure in tank 10 and upstream of valve seat 29 is reduced to a predetermined minimum amount which will permit the user to safely remove himself from the non-breathable atmosphere or other medium, the force then exerted by the gas on valve 44 is overcome by the force of spring 47 and the latter resiliently urges the valve 44 in to seated engagement with valve seat 29 as shown in Fig. 6 and oxygen or gas no longer flows into mask 15.

The user is immediately aware of this by the difficulty he has in breathing and he immediately turns handle 52 counterclockwise one turn as indicated by the click of portion 82 in groove 56. This turns valve carrier 42 counterclockwise thereby moving it upwardly further away from valve seat 29 from the position of Fig. 6 to the position of Fig. 7 and during this movement turned-in portion 63 engages flange 73 of the valve 44 and positively moves valve 44- upwardly away from, and out of valve seating engagement with, valve seat 29. Oxygen or other gas again flows from the cylinder to the user until the supply is exhausted, thus giving him time to remove himself from the non-breathable atmosphere.

Disc 32 ruptures if the pressure in the system becomes too great, whereupon gas flows through passages 25, 38' and 38. Any other suitable blow-ofi device may be used rather than rupturable disc 32.

Fig. 9 discloses one manner in which valve 11 may be attached to demand regulator 13 in underwater diving apparatus, which usually requires relatively high pressures in tank so that the user may be submerged for a relatively long time. Yoke 100 passes around portion 18 of valve housing 16, as shown in Fig. 9, so that inwardly extending flange 103 extends into groove 102 of the housing of regulator 13. By tightening screw 101, lip 105 of the inlet portion 104 of regulator 13 and resilient washer 35 are forced tightly together to assure an airtight fit.

It will be understood that a spring 47 may be selected which will cause valve 44 to close automatically as shown in Fig. 6 at any pressure in tank 10 which is desired.

It will also be understood that any type of valve carrier means may be utilized instead of sleeve 42 so long as it is adapted, when in one position, to positively force valve 44 into seating engagement with the valve seat, when in another position, to positively force the valve 44 out of seating engagement with seat 29 and, when in another position, to permit the valve to be controlled by resilient means such as the spring 47 so that when the gas pressure upstream of the valve seat is greater than the force exerted by the resilient means on the valve, the valve is forced out of engagement with the valve seat against the force of the resilient means and when the pressure upstream of valve seat 29 has been reduced below the force exerted on the valve by the resilient means such resilient means urges valve 44 into seated engagement with the valve seat 29.

Any means may be used to indicate when the valve carrying means is in its various positions other than the spring member 78 and groove 56.

Other modifications can also be madein the above apparatus without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. Valve apparatus for dispensing gas comprising gas conduit means, valve seat means located in said conduit means, valve means for cooperating with said valve seat means, valve carrier means for carrying said valve means, said valve carrier means having a first valve engaging portion for engaging said valve means and a second valve engaging portion for engaging said valve means, said valve means being adapted to move with relation to said carrier means between said first and second valve engaging portions, resilient means for resiliently urging said valve means toward said second valve engaging portion, means for moving said carrier to, and locking said carrier in, a first position in which said first valve engaging portion positively engages said valve means to positively urge the same into seating engagement with said valve seat means, an intermediate position in which said resilient means is effective to resiliently urge said valve means into engagement with said valve seat means when the pressure upstream of said valve seat means is at .or below a predetermined amount, and in which, when said pressure is above said predetermined amount, said valve means is forced by said pressure out of engagement with said valve of seating engagement with said valve seat means, said predetermined amount being sufiicient to provide for substantial flow through the apparatus when the valve means is subsequently positively urged out of seating engagement with said valve seat means, said carrier means comprising a cylindrical shaped member having a threaded portion on the outer surface thereof, said apparatus ineluding a valve housing having a threaded passage therein for receiving said threaded portion of said carrier means and said carrier means being moved to and from, and locked in, said positions by turning movement of said carrier member in said threaded passage.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said valve carrier member has a recess therein and a valve carrying chamber, said chamber being defined by said first and second valve engaging portions and carrying said valve means, and wherein said apparatus has a valve stem with a carrier member driving portion which is removably received in said recess of said carrying member so that rotation of said stem turns said carrier member.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said carrier member has a passage between said recess and said valve carrying chamber and said resilient means is located in said passage and biased between said valve means and said driving portion of said stem for urging said valve means toward said second valve engaging portion of said carrier member.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said carrier member is moved to and from each of said positions by a predetermined turn of said stem and wherein means are provided on said valve housing and on said stem to indicate the completion of said turn of said stem and hence the movement of said carrier means from one position to another.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said conduit means comprises a passage through said valve housing, the portion of said conduit means located upstream of said valve seat means being in substantial alignment with and communicating with said passage in which said valve carrier means is received and at least a part of said conduit means located downstream of said valve seat means being transverse to said last mentioned passage.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the portion of said conduit means which is upstream of said valve seat means is in operative communication with a limited source of gas under pressure and the portion of said conduit means which is downstream of said valve seat means is in operative communication first with a pressure reducing means and then with a face mask, whereby gas is dispensed from said source of gas under pressure to said face mask through said valve apparatus.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 447,211 Thomson Feb. 24, 1891 923,808 Breth June 8, 1909 963,836 Varlie July 12, 1910 1,582,938 Smith Sept. 12, 1923 2,634,748 Morrison Ian. 8, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 970 Great Britain of 1904 138,350 Australia of 1950 

